Podcast with ACMOC member Dale Mininger!

Dale Mininger spent 43 years around heavy equipment, working as an operator, mechanic, maintenance manager, and crane operator. He joined Our Western States Cat team In The Yard, to shares stories of running Cat equipment across the West, restoring antique iron, and passing down knowledge to the next generation through ACMOC. From preventive maintenance to modern machine technology, Dale gives a look at how the heart of the industry has remained as components have evolved.

Listen to the full episode on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or opt for the video version on YouTube and enjoy some beautiful mountain views!

Awesome! Thank you for sharing.

That's pretty cool, thanks for posting

Pretty Cool , he is not to far from me

Thank you gentlemen, it was an interesting occurrence when they asked me to do this being a long time Mechanic next to the Western States Equipment field service Mechanics. Talking on camera was a little different but learned a lot made a couple mistakes as with the D8 engine being a six cylinder, not a eight cylinder, but as you get talking, you do not realize some of the things that get misunderstood. I feel it is very important that we keep our club and this hobby of ours growing strong. As I said in the podcast, we need to keep the development of young minds helping get into keeping our equipment of early errors around for training and gratitude just to see them run.

My next mission is a ways out, but I volunteered for dozer days with Western States Equipment that allow young children to come and get to ride along on various machines. This was held down in Boise, and it had a great turnout of kids and the smiles on their faces when they were riding on the dozer’s excavators, loaders, etc., was irreplaceable. I touched base with the coordinator and I am trying to get a booth for next year next next to Western States caterpillar where we can bring some antiques crawlers into this event and let our young minds at the trade college see just what our club is about and how important it is for us to keep growing. So if my plans go into effect, we will have a booth next October next to Western States Equipment. So we can start planning our event I am reaching out for some help and will probably getting a hold of Gee and see if we can get some banners and handouts to make this a successful project.

Hi, Offrd3717.

I know what you mean about the smiles on kids faces. I got to take Mary Ann, the first of the 'Stretched' LGP SD8s from Antarctica, through a couple of parades at Santa Margarita ranch in 2015 with bunches of kids riding with me in the cab. Some of 'em dang near swallowed their ears.

Just my 0.02.

Good morning Dale: I am sure we can hook you up with some goodies to help for "Dozer Days". Reach out at your earliest convenience and we can figure out things. I think Mr. D4e, aka John G. from Middleton area would like to be "volunteered" to help you LOL.

You sir, are absolutely spot on about the younger generation. We have local grandparents that purposely bring the young ones out to experience things. One of our followers, Natalie Cook has been bringing her son Reid to our events since he was a toddler. He LOVES being around the equipment and might be a better "skinner" by age 5 than some adults lol.

Keep up the great work! Thanks! JM

This is the type of interaction that will keep the club thriving and introducing the "youngsters" is a key component!

Re: the new generation "skinner", I had the pleasure of "shooting" the Chapter 15 annual meeting at the California Ag Museum in Woodland a couple of years ago, it featured the youngster and his family front and center. Little did I remember whom he was, until after the Rio Linda event a couple months ago. I was blessed with the opportunity to make a lap with him in the seat of the D4, and then with each of his parents. "Grandpa" told me " he won't ride with me, I am afraid I scare him". "Thanks for getting him in the seat!"

WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE - One event, one person, one smile changes everything, sometimes for life. CTS